The Interaction Effect Of Language Aptitude And Motivation On English Listening Achievement

The studies of individual differences have received widespread attention since 1970s. The practice in foreign language teaching indicates that students under instructions of the same teachers using the same teaching methods and materials perform various learning achievements. People begin to realize that although the external factors, such as environment and teachers, are significant, learners’ internal factors are crucial in deciding language learning success. Individual differences researches can to some extent facilitate the process of foreign language teaching and learning. Among all individual difference variables, language aptitude and motivation have always been the research focus. Researchers both home and abroad have consistently confirmed the influence of language aptitude and motivation on language learning.However, majority of researchers investigate these two individual difference variables independently. On the basis of Dynamic Systems Theory, the current study examines the interaction effect of language aptitude and motivation on language performance. At the same time, as one important approach of information acquisition, listening plays a significant role in language learning, and listening proficiency has an impact on the learning of other language skills and then influences the overall effect of language learning. Therefore, this study aims to examine the interaction effect of language aptitude and motivation on English listening achievement.86 sophomores of English majors from Shandong University of Science and Technology are invited to attend the research. The author applies MLAT to test subjects’ language aptitude,a motivation questionnaire to test their motivation level and a listening comprehension test to verify their listening proficiency. 83 valid sample data are collected. All data are analyzed by SPSS 17.0. The results are as follows:1) Results of descriptive analyses show that most of the subjects perform medium level of language aptitude and high level of motivation.2) Results of correlation analyses reveal that language aptitude and motivation significantly correlate with listening achievement. Phonemic coding ability, rote-learning ability and grammatical sensitivity significantly correlate with listening achievement.Significant correlations are also discovered between listening achievement, self-efficacy and interest. A significantly weak correlation is obtained between language aptitude and motivation.3) Results of regression analyses demonstrate that language aptitude and motivation are predictive factors for English listening achievement. Phonemic coding ability in language aptitude and self-efficacy in motivation significantly predict listening achievement. In addition,motivation indirectly influences listening achievement through language aptitude.Self-efficacy in motivation significantly influences rote-learning ability. The interaction between motivation and language aptitude is demonstrated in the interrelation between self-efficacy and rote-learning ability.Based on the research results, some pedagogical implications for listening learning and teaching are presented, for example, learners can choose proper learning methods and materials according to their own conditions, and teachers can divide students into different classes on the basis of their differences in language aptitude, and etc.